Ocmis, which, historically, has specialised in the manufacture of self-propelled irrigation machines, known as « hose reels », has decided to invest heavily in the design, manufacture and commercialisation of a new range of irrigation systems, such as Pivots, Lateral Move and Hippodrome-type Machines. This is a complementary and mature market, in which the major international players already have a presence: so, the challenge is significant.
The company was created in 1980, in Castelvetro de Modena (Italy), by six associates involved in the handicraft sector, who already had extensive manufacturing experience. Ocmis was created during a period when industry was thriving in Italy and small family businesses then had to be prepared to face up to the significant changes were going to occur. The aim was to abandon the concept of “subcontracting” and concentrate all our efforts on making our own finished product.
At the present time, Ocmis is still run by its six founder members with six young partners having joined the firm to create another 40 years of success!
In 1980, its machines became successul because of their ease of use and the fact that the research and technical innovation aspect improved their usability. Over the years, Ocmis, thanks to its continuous investment, has become a key player in the irrigation industry, acquiring companies in whole or in part, thus benefitting from their considerable expertise, as in the case of Scova Engineering, a company in the group that produces motor-driven pump units, electric pumps and generators.
The Ocmis group, with a market presence of more than 40 years, made history with the Hose reels which, given the company’s obsession with R & D, has enabled the firm to respond and anticipate the needs of an increasingly globalised and demanding clientele.
In the early 1990s, the Turbo Speed System was introduced, the first system to rewind the hose via a direct mechanical link to the gearbox and this technique is now adopted by most of the companies that manufacture hose reels.
During the first decade of this century, Ocmis invented and patented the Vario Rain System, a synchronised gearbox that allows the operator to change gear speed while under load and it also features a certain number of improvements to the turbine / gearbox assembly.
During the second decade of this century, Ocmis unveiled to the world its new range of pivot, lateral move and hippodrome-type irrigation equipment at the EIMA 2016 event, arousing much interest and curiosity among the professionals and enjoying great success at the stand in terms of visitors and sales.
The last 40 years of Ocmis have ultimately been characterised by a recurrent desire to discover new markets and new technologies to increase the value and quality of their products, while providing the customer with a reliable service.
It is a question of being the leader in research, development and innovation, and redefining the processes in order to optimise production costs.
By continuously striving to achieve excellence, Ocmis has reinvented itself and recreated its presence in the market of the future, overcoming all obstacles that came their way because the future cannot be predicted but the company carries on inventing, day after day.
The vision of Ocmis is to offer its clients a global partnership that designs and develops smart irrigation solutions.
During this journey, which is first and foremost one of changing the culture, the courageous but difficult decision has been made to enter into the market for pivots, lateral move and hippodrome-type machines.
To become a world partner in smart irrigation solutions, Ocmis has invested heavily in its range of products, premises, technology and personnel.
As far as the product pange is concerned, as mentioned above, Ocmis has introduced to the world its range of pivots, lateral move and hippodrome-type machines, as well as its “I-CAN” control system, which uses the CAN-BUS technology and has been recognised as an innovative new product by the FederUnacoma - Confindustria 2016 committee.
Another important new product has been the introduction of the new Hippodrome drive unit, revolutionising and improving the use of this type of machine.
The drive unit has an auto-reversing system, controlled mechanically, but it can be operated electronically and also remotely. This new product was displayed in operation at the 2010 Innovagri - Sud Ouest show, held in Ondes (31) on 6th and 7th September 2017. The machine attracted a lot of interest at this event from the professionals involved in the sector.
A new covered production site
With regard to the plants and technology, in 2015 Ocmis began constructing a new 14,000 m2 covered production site, built with state-of-the-art technology involving zero environmental impact. This facility has already been completed and has all the latest technology, such as an automated warehouse for the raw materials, the very latest 3D laser cutting equipment and robot machines that enable the fully automated machining of the structural parts.
Today, overall, the Ocmis premises consists of 85,000 m2, of which 34,000 m2 are covered.
As far as the personnel is concerned, the real heart of the firm’s activities, Ocmis has recently brought in highly qualified engineers and technicians who work closely with the Ocmis team. These are the people who designed the new product range and the new “I-CAN” control system, enabling the company to produce more developed, robust and reliable machines for the Ocmis customers.
The Group strengthened its management control systems and made its organisational models more efficient. The ERP software was replaced, enabling Ocmis to have a better computer-based system, also adapted to economic intelligence.
Two years ago, Ocmis undertook a major shift in its organisation by appointing a CEO who, in close association with our partners, will design and develop Ocmis 4.0 to guarantee another forty years of entrepreneurial success.
Adopting a modest approach and by always keeping its feet on the ground, the group now employs around 200 people.
The Ocmis group is facing up to this new challenge with the conscientiousness, professionalism and technology that has always been its trademark, ensuring that its customers, the true driving force of the company’s growth, value our business relationship and enhance the trust that they have in us.
The engineer Thierry Sogni oversees the Ocmis Group Pivot project.
Describing the project, the Engineer stated: “We have designed the OCMIS pivot so we can offer the most robust structure on the market. The high resistance steel components used on important sections guarantee lasting reliability with a certain philosophy that is very close to the heart of our company. We have not only improved, but rather we have also redesigned the pivot by adding a few technical modifications, such as a swivel seal that allows for the pivot to rotate normally without any leakage. The structure of the spans is made of interchangeable components to facilitate the assembly process and provide complete modularity for the whole range, whatever the length or diameter. Our models of lateral move and “hippodrome” machines also have these functions. On our ditch-fed irrigation booms, we have designed an entirely
built-in on-board pumping system with a floating suction assembly and a unique self-cleaning system.
In terms of innovation, all our devices have the award-winning I-CAN system, which allows the user to control all the machine’s components and all the main functions (alignment, forward movement and alarms) without the need for additional cables. The whole assembly is connected and controlled by an electronic management interface equipped with a colour screen, offering intuitive access to all the functions. The user is thus in full control of the irrigation procedure.”
